Commenting on India's direct involvement in the Pilkhana massacre, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and former MP Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, "This massacre was orchestrated to establish Indian hegemony in an independent Bangladesh. India, through the support of the Awami League, conspired with the government to carry out the Pilkhana killings, projecting a vision of the Awami League holding power until 2041." He further stated that the massacre was carried out by Indian-controlled BDR soldiers. He criticized the government for arresting innocent BDR personnel, punishing them in the name of justice, and dismissing them from their jobs without providing proper trials.
On Tuesday, February 25, in a discussion meeting organized by the Dhaka City South Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, as the chief guest of the program emphasized the need for an independent and impartial investigation into the Pilkhana massacre, calling on the government to bring all those responsible to justice, based on the findings of the investigation commission formed by the interim government.
Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher also called for all political parties, including BNP, to come together on five key issues and swear an oath before the nation. These are: no compromise on independence and sovereignty, zero tolerance towards corruption, extortion, and terrorism, commitment to free and fair elections, unity for national interest and prioritizing the country's development over party interests.
During his speech, Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher mentioned that while there may be differing opinions and parties, if the political parties unite on these five key issues, Bangladesh will become a strong nation on the world map. He then referred the development of Singapore and claimed that our nation can lead to prosperity if honest leadership is ensured.
Dr. Taher pointed out that after Bangladesh’s independence, the people got a corrupt leader, which is why the nation still struggles. He emphasized that full independence was only achieved after the 36th July (August 5th) revolution, in which students and the people freed the nation from the clutches of fascism. He called for unity among all political parties and stated there should be no more struggle or conflict.
The meeting presided over by Dhaka south city Jamaat Ameer and Jamaat’s central executive council member Nurul Islam Bulbul. Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan gave a special address. He said that various conspiracies had been planned to conceal the Pilkhana massacre. He described the massacre as one of the darkest chapters in the history of independent Bangladesh. He stated that more military officers were killed in Pilkhana than during the Liberation War, with even senior officers being killed after being saved. He added that despite receiving reports about the killings, the Army Chief did nothing, instead, officials were enjoying a picnic. The fact that government officials did nothing and sent others to the site instead showed that the massacre was carried out with government support. Dr. Khan praised the interim government for forming a commission but insisted that the investigation must be free from political influence and that the guilty individuals should be executed. He further demanded justice for all other killings.
Dhaka South city Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdus Sabur Fakir raised the issue of Sheikh Hasina's absence from Pilkhana on the day of the massacre, suggesting that her absence indicated the planned nature of the killings. He accused the government of betraying the military officers by arresting innocent BDR members instead of the real perpetrators. He demanded the reinstatement of the dismissed BDR members and justice for the real criminals behind the massacre.
Jamaat’s Central Working Committee member and Dhaka South City Secretary Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud stated that the Interim Government had declared the day of the Pilkhana Massacre as National Martyrs' Army Day. However, he mentioned that the Awami League government organizes state-sponsored celebrations, both officially and unofficially, every year on this day. This is because the government hopes to erase the memory of the massacre from the people's minds, believing that doing so will absolve them of responsibility. However, justice will not be escaped. Dr. Masud emphasized that the justice for the Pilkhana Massacre, like for every other murder, is not just a demand of Jamaat-e-Islami, but a demand of the entire nation. He further added that those who claim that local elections should not be held before the national elections must be ready to sacrifice their lives for this cause. He urged that if these individuals were not power-hungry, they should have been vocal about demanding justice for the genocide and the execution of Sheikh Hasina. He called for unity among the people until Hasina's execution is ensured.
Nurul Islam Bulbul criticized Sheikh Hasina's actions after coming to power. He accused her of strategically plotting the murder of military officers at Pilkhana to achieve several objectives including killing 57 skilled officers, weakening the army by eliminating these officers, avenging the assassination of her father by crippling the army, decimating the BDR. He criticized the earlier investigation into the Pilkhana Massacre as biased and based on fabricated findings. He called for a fair investigation by the new commission and for justice to be served to those responsible.
